JC...great pics and narrative! I have often considered moving to the Pagossa Springs area, as it seems like a great location. I have spent some time in that whole area...I took a photography "course" back in about '95 through Rocky Mountain School of Photography (highly recommended, and they still offer it, based out of Ouray) and stayed in Ouray for a week. I added 3 days to the front end, and 3 days to the back end of that trip and did some exploring on my own prior to, and after the course. This was back when I carried a 40lb pack full of camera gear...two bodies, multiple prime lenses, tripod, etc., and shot Velvia slide film exclusively (digital was just getting started back then and a camera body was 10K). The great thing about the course was that each morning and afternoon (this was in late July when the mountain wildflowers at higher elevations were in full bloom) we had professional drivers who drove the group of about 20 people up into the mountains on modified Jeep Comanches. They had the bed part of the truck set up with bench seating withing a steel "cage" so you wouldn't fall out. It was an unforgettable experience....taking photos of beautiful places and traveling by Jeep on the dirt/gravel mountain roads mentioned in one of your posts. We would shoot photos all morning, come back to Ouray, send our film out for developement for the next day, then the instructors would critique our photos from the previous day, along with the class members. We'd eat lunch, then go back out in late afternoon/evening and shoot until the light was gone at somewhat lower elevations. All different skill levels, with 3 great instructors, so those who had more skills could work on the "art" part of photography, and others could better learn the basics of camera operation, etc. The Jeep rides were amazing...scarey at times, as the jeep would be running on roads that had a 2' "shoulder" and then dropped straight down for hundreds of feet. That's why you see so many Jeeps in that area of the mountains...it's basically the best vehicle for riding those mountain roads due to the relatively short wheelbase, skid plates, etc. In places, you are climbing sheer rock, almost boulder hopping. It is not something for the inexperienced to attempt on their own. But the photo ops are spectacular. For anyone thinking about going to that area, take an extra day and hire a pro driver to take you up in the mountains, but only after you've given yourself 2-3 days at at least 7-8K altitudes, or you'll get sick from altitudes they drive you to...well over 11K, with a pass or two at 13K. Not trying to hijack the thread, but here's a couple of examples of what you'll see on the Jeep rides:
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Topic: (California/Arizona), Nevada, Utah, Colorado (Read 65071 times)